Students to present cars at NHMS

Thursday

Apr 29, 2010 at 3:15 AM

FOR THE CITIZEN

LOUDON — Students representing 30 schools from five different countries including Russia, Italy, Taiwan, Canada, and the United States will present their innovative racecar designs during the 4th annual Formula Hybrid Competition at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Monday, May 3 through Thursday, May 6.

Hosted by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, the Formula Hybrid event challenges university students to design, build, and race high performance, plug-in hybrid vehicles for review by an elite panel of judges.

The competition assesses teams in many different areas including design, technical aspects, presentation, acceleration, and vehicle endurance.

The students competing in the challenge are typically majors in electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering. Formula Hybrid encourages interdisciplinary teamwork and innovation.

"It's a little bit like the space program," said Robert Todd, the Capstone Program director and professor of mechanical engineering at Brigham and Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. "You learn by doing what hasn't been done before. We do these kinds of things to give students a chance to innovate."

The event is based on the popular Formula-SAE program that started in 1978 for college and university students from around the globe. Formula Hybrid inspires the young engineers to think green by using high powered electronics and other energy saving techniques.

"It's a hybrid for one, and the unique thing about our car is the high-powered batteries we are running, and also the hybrid system that allows us to run off our batteries and our generator simultaneously," said Team Captain Peter Ransom of BYU describing the benefits of the car. "We've worked very hard and we're competing against some big schools, and we're all looking forward to the competition."

In 1988, Bryar Motorsports Park, now the site of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, hosted the first ever test for solar powered cars designed by students from Dartmouth and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sponsors include the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. (SAE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), Toyota, New England Region Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), General Motors, Chrysler, Plug In America, CF design, and Graybar.

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On July 11, 1993, all eyes were on the Northeast as New Hampshire Motor Speedway held its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the Slick 50 300.

In arguably one of his most successful seasons, Rusty Wallace endured the 100 degree plus temperatures to take home the very first checkered flag at The Magic Mile.

Driving the No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac owned by Roger Penske, Wallace qualified 33rd at the speed of 123.618 mph. With lightening fast pit stops and great strategy, he gradually worked his way to the front, taking the lead on lap 168.

Wallace would lead the pack for the next 75 laps until rookie Jeff Gordon made his move to the front. One lap later, Davey Allison showed everyone that he might have the car to beat.

It was the No. 2 pit crew that would make all of the difference for Wallace in the Slick 50 300. With just 29 laps to go, Wallace would take the lead after a pit stop which put him on the fast track to victory lane.

"I screwed up in qualifying, and we wound up in the back of the pack," Wallace said. "Buddy (Parrott, his crew chief) chose to pit way down there in the last spot on pit road, sort of like back there in our own zone. When the race got under way, we really were in our own zone. The car was flying and we zoomed right on up there through the field. The pit stops were unbelievable all day and we kicked some major butt."

Wallace took home the inaugural event trophy and a purse of $77,500. Wallace would end his 1993 season with 10 wins and a second-place finish in the championship behind Dale Earnhardt.

Be a part of racing history, purchase your tickets now for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on Sunday, June 27 and the SYLVANIA 300 on Sunday, September 19 by visiting us online at www.nhms.com or by calling our Ticket Hotline at (603) 783-4931.

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